


Last chance

by iwriteinpen



Series: Haikyuu Does Handball [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 2020 Olympics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Olympics, Alternate Universe - Sports, Articles, Interviews, M/M, Multi, Newspapers, Olympics, Social Media, Sports, Summer Olympics, handball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwriteinpen/pseuds/iwriteinpen
Summary: The boys will have to give it their everything in tonight’s game against Sweden; If they lose, they’re out.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Tsukishima Kei/Yachi Hitoka, Tsukishima Kei/Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: Haikyuu Does Handball [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713979
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Live Updates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _FIC:_ It’s the fourth game of the Olympics, but it’s also the most important game for the Japanese boys! If they lose, they will lose _everything_... Follow the live updates!

### Game 4: Japan vs. Sweden

We’re ready with another game here from Yoyogi! Today, Japan faces off against Sweden! This will not be easy, the Swedish team is fast and has two of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Japanese need to find their fighting spirit and give it their all! A loss today means that the Olympics will be over for them.

Japan starts with the following players: Tsukishima, Hinata, Nishinoya, Kageyama (Kuroo in defense), Bokuto, Iwaizumi and Sawamura.

1st Minute: 0:1 - Japan begins in the defense and the Swedes use their first attack to score.

  
3rd Minute: 1:1 - Kageyama tries to go through the Swedish defense and it results in a penalty shot for Japan. Nishinoya steps up to the seven meter line and does what he does best! Scores! Sweden also receives a penalty shot, but Tsukishima saves!

  
5th Minute: 3:2 - Kageyama shoots and scores! But the Swedes score as well. Kageyama is fast up the court and earns a new penalty shot. Nishinoya scores again.

  
7th Minute: 5:4 - And the Swedes also get another penalty shot, which they use to score.

  
Bokuto jumps around the 11 meter mark and scores! Both teams are very fast, the Swedes score but then so does Iwaizumi!

  
9th Minute: 5:5 - The Swedish playmaker passes to their line player and they score. Kageyama tries to break through the opposing teams defense, and earns another penalty. This time Nishinoya misses.

  
10th Minute: 5:6 - The Swedes make it through the Japanese defense and score again. Iwaizumi misses, but in the other end Tsukishima saves and the ball is on Japanese hands again.

12th Minute: 7:6 - The Japanese are playing well and Kageyama is using every single player. Iwaizumi goes through a hole in the opposing defense and scores. The Swedes try to score via their line player but Kageyama intercepts and quickly gets the ball to Kuroo who has taken a chance and sprinted to the other end, he scores.

15th Minute: 8:8 - Sweden plays with patience and manage to equalize. Bokuto finds Sawamura on the line and Sawamura scores! Sweden equalizes again with a hammer of a shot from 11 meters.

16th Minute: 11:10 - A brilliant pass from Kageyama to Sawamura and he scores! But the Swedes are fast, and score in the blink of an eye. Another goal for Japan, this time from Bokuto! But the Swedes score yet again. It seems that neither teams defense has clocked in to work today.

18th Minute: 11:10 - Kuroo Tetsurou receives a two minute suspension. Japan plays without a goalkeeper when they’re on the attack.

20th Minute: 11:11 - Nishinoya tries to pass the ball to Sawamura but the pass is intercepted and the Swede throws the ball into the empty goal. Nekomata calls the timeout.

21st Minute: 11:12 - Kuroo's penalty is over and Japan plays seven against six with two line players. Tanaka is substituted in for Iwaizumi. Again, the pass to Sawamura is intercepted and the ball thrown into the empty goal.

22nd Minute: 12:13 - Sawamura fights, and the Swedish player receives a two minute suspension. Japan now playing seven against five. Kageyama passes the ball to Kuroo who earns a penalty shot for Japan. This time Kageyama is the one to shoot, and he scores! The Swedes are not shaken and quickly retaliate.

24th Minute: 13:14 - Kuroo scores! A save from Tsukishima and Japan is on the attack again. Sawamura misses for the first time this tournament, and this is not the time for it. The Swedes are merciless and score again.

26th Minute: 14:14 - Bokuto scores from the 9 Meter line. The Swedish coach calls for a timeout.

28th Minute: 15:15 - We’re off again! A great pass to the Swedish line player. The Japanese defense can’t seem to stop the line player and he scores. In the other end Sawamura proves that his miss was a one time thing and scores!

29th Minute: 16:16 - The Swedes find the goal quickly and score. but they’re not the only fast ones. Tanaka scores! It’s a neck and neck match!

30th Minute: 17:16 - Tsukishima with a save! Kageyama sends the ball to Sawamura, who SCORES! Bringing the Japanese in the lead for the first time. The last minute of the first half has started.

30th Minute: 18:17 - Kuroo receives his second two minute suspension and the Swedes score on the following penalty shot. Kageyama manages to score in the last seconds.

 **HALFTIME: 18-17** \- This game is intense, even the audience probably needs this break, let alone the players. The game is fast with many goals, but neither defense has really showed up and impressed. Japan goes to break with a small lead. We’ll be right back with the second half.

AND THE GAME IS ON AGAIN

32nd Minute: 18:18 - The Japanese lead is gone as the Swedes start with a save and a penalty. Ennoshita is substituted in for Tsukishima but can’t touch the ball.

33rd Minute: 18:19 - Tanaka passes to Nishinoya but the Swedish goalkeeper saves. Tsukishima saves as well, but Iwaizumi misses and the Swedes score on a fast break. Yaku replaces Nishinoya.

36th Minute: 18:20 - Bokuto’s shot is also saved by the Swedish goalkeeper. The Swedes score on a another fast break.

38th Minute: 19:21 - Kageyama passes the ball to Hinata, but he is also blocked by the Swedish goalkeeper. Sweden plays a nice attack and is rewarded with a goal. Yaku scores for Japan.

41st Minute: 19:21 - Tsukishima saves, Kageyama is also stopped by the opposing goalkeeper. Can no one get past this man? Tsukishima saves again. Kageyama tries once more, but his the goalpost, the rebound stays on Japanese hands.

42nd Minute: 20:21 - The Swedes go into a more aggressive defensive formation, which will surely give the Japanese some problems, but Kageyama scores!

43rd Minute: 21:23 - Sweden scores from the back row. Hinata is quick with his own goal. The Swedish are calm and score yet again.

45th Minute: 22:22 - The 23rd goal from the Swedes is annulled, the Japanese have a new opportunity to equalize. A save from both goalkeepers. Kageyama equalizes!

47th Minute: 22:22 - Tsukishima comes through with an important save, but the rebound goes the Swedes. Tsukishima AGAIN! Nekomata calls a timeout.

48th Minute: 23:22 - Bokuto passes to Yaku, but he misses. The Swedes make a technical error and Hinata scores on a fast break. Sweden takes a timeout.

49th Minute: 23:23 - The Swedes equalizes. Kageyama is blocked by the swedish defense.

50th Minute: 23:23 - Hinata grabs the rebound but shoots over the goal. Tsukishima saves, but Sawamura earned himself a two minute suspension.

52nd Minute: 25:23 - The Swedish defense is very offensive but Kageyama fights his way through and scores. The Swedes are on the attack, but Bokuto intercepts a pass and gets the ball to Kuroo. He scores!

54th Minute: 25:24 - Sweden scores. Hinata tries to pass to Daichi, but the pass doesn’t make it. The Swedes make a technical mistake, but again the pass to Sawamura is intercepted.

56th Minute: 25:25 - After a defensive foul the Swedes get a penalty shot. Ennoshita is sent on court to try and save, but he doesn’t.

57th Minute: 26:25 - Sawamura tries to break through the defense, as a result the Swedish get a two minute suspension. Hinata scores.

58th Minute: 26:25 - Tsukishima saves. Kageyama misses. Only two minutes left of this intense game, anything can happen still.

59th Minute: 26:26 - Sweden brings the score to a tie yet again. Kageyama attacks, and the Swedes get another two minute suspension.

60th Minute: 26:27 - Kageyama steps forward ready to take the penalty himself… and he scores! This rookie has nerves of steel! Only 30 seconds remaining! Sweden has the ball.

60th Minute: 27:27 - The Swedes even the score again. Last timeout taken by Nekomata. 8 seconds left.

60th Minute: 27:27 - Kageyama gets the ball to Hinata, but he misses!

 **THE END:** \- _The game is over! It ends in a tie 27 - 27. Japan’s hope of advancing lives on!_


	2. Player Ratings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ARTICLE:_ Japan TV's Handball expert Haruto Sato grades the Japanese players after their 4th game.

* * *

## Player Ratings

Japan TV’s handball expert, Haruto Sato, grades the Japanese players’ performances after their fourth game at the 2020 Olympics. Japan's fourth game against Sweden ended in a tie 27-27. The first half was played in the attack. Neither of the teams managed to get their defence going. A lot of fastbreaks kept the speed high and the game intense. The pressure on the Japanese team was extreme, a loss would send them out of the tournament. 

  * Sweden has two of the best keepers in the world, giving the Japanese attack problems during the second half but they managed to keep going, showing good spirit.
  * The Japanese defense had a bad day again. They never managed to stop Sweden's fastbreaks but Tsukishima kept them in the match. 



They showed their great spirit in today's match. The rookies showed that they are capable of playing well under high pressure. They still have to work on their defence and find a way to lower the amount of failed passes giving the other team easy goals. They managed to step up and get a tie after two losses which is impressive against a strong team like Sweden. If they keep upping their game, their chances of advancing seem a lot better than two matches ago.

**SATO’S GRADING SCALE**

**6 - Incredible**

**5 - Great**

**4 - Above Average**

**3 - Average**

**2 - Below Average**

**1 - Not great**

**0 - Failed**

**N/A - Less than five minutes of playing time**

_Below follows the grades for each player as assigned by Haruto Sato._

**Tsukishima Kei - 5** **  
** He didn't save much during the first half but really stepped up in the second. With a total of 12 saves, he ends on a saving percentage of 33%. He had a lot of important saves during the last quarter of the match and kept the Japanese team in the match when the attack failed. It seems like he's getting used to the pressure of the Olympics. 

**Ennoshita Chikara - N/A**

**Yaku Morisuke - 3** **  
** He didn't get to touch the ball much during his 27 minutes in the match. Scores one goal in two tries and doesn't make any mistakes in defence. Again an average performance. 

  
  


**Nishinoya Yuu - 2** **  
** 2 goals in 4 tries and a missed penalty isn't what we are used to from Nishinoya. He also made a few technical mistakes. Hopefully, he'll manage to step up to the next match. We know he can do better.

**Hinata Shouyou - 3** **  
** Doesn’t participate much during the first 30 minutes but when he finally starts contributing to the match he seems unaffected by the importance of the game. He scores on 3 out of 6 shots and makes a few mistakes but isn't afraid to keep fighting. Hopefully, the last miss won’t affect his spirit in the next game.

**Bokuto Koutarou - 5** **  
** He managed to step up from yesterday's game showing why he's on the team. Though he only makes 3 goals on four tries, his playing and passes result in room for the other players. 

**Iwaizumi Hajime - 3**

Only gets to play 20 minutes in today’s match. With 2 goals on 4 tries and a decent attempt of defence against the many fastbreaks, his play is acceptable. We still want to see more from a starting player in the back row.

**Tanaka Ryuunosuke - 2** **  
** 1 goal in 40 minutes is not enough from his position. We know he can do better. He has to step up and contribute more to the team in the next game. 

**Kageyama Tobio - 5 (PLAYER OF THE MATCH)** **  
** A great game from Kageyama today. 7 goals in 11 tries and 5 assists in a match of huge importance is impressive, especially coming from a rookie. With quick passes and an aggressive playstyle, he made sure that the Japanese attack kept challenging the Swedish defence. A bit of a slow start in the second half along the rest of the team but once he gets started again, he used every player on the team. Close to a perfect grade but a few too many misses.

**Kozume Kenma - N/A**

**Oikawa Tooru - N/A**

**Akaashi Keiji - N/A**

**Kuroo Tetsurou - 3** **  
** He scores 3 goals on 3 tries but never manages to get the defence together. Gets 2 two-minutes suspensions during the first half and had to watch out for a third. Still, he brings experience to the team and keeps calm. A scoring percentage of 100 is impressive for a player that usually sticks to defence but we want to see more from him in defence. 

**Sawamura Daichi - 5** **  
** 4 goals in 5 tries and a couple of penalties speaks of a great game from Sawamura. He kept troubling the Swedish defence, making room for his teammates and didn't stop fighting at any point. Earns a dangerous suspension entering the last 10 minutes of the game where he should be experienced enough to play smart which keeps him from a perfect grade. 

**Coach Nekomata - 4  
**Managed to get his players ready for the game. It's never easy to rise after two losses but the team seemed mentally ready for the job. A mix of old and new players turned out to be the right choice. He kept calm during the bad start of the second half and lets his players get back on track. Makes use of all 3 time-outs. This wasn't a match to try out new solutions.


	3. Words and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _FIC:_ The players find the best way to wind down from the latest game and get ready for the next one.

The phone lights up the hotel room from its place on the nightstand. Tsukishima picks it up and accepts the incoming video call. Two smiling faces appear on the screen.

“Tsukki!” both Yamaguchi and Yachi yell once Tsukishima’s camera connects properly.

“Hey,” he answers. “Sorry, I couldn’t talk more after the game today.” 

“Don’t worry,” Yachi says.

“Yeah, we understand,” Yamaguchi adds.

“Thanks for coming though,” Tsukishima says, quietly. 

“Anytime, we love watching you play!” Yamaguchi smiles. “How are you feeling?” 

“Sore,” Tsukishima barks out a dry laugh, “but good.” 

“You’re still able to advance, right?” Yachi asks, the optimism shining through the screen.

“If we win the next one, yeah.” Tsukishima nods. “But then we run into the really good teams.” Tsukishima almost shudders at the thought of the teams ahead.

“I’m sure you’ll win tomorrow, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi says. 

“You’ll be there again?” Tsukishima asks in a slightly lighter tone. 

Yachi nods. 

“Of course,” Yamaguchi follows up.

“Okay,” Tsukishima smiles. “What else did you do today?” 

Yamaguchi and Yachi take turns telling Tsukishima all that they did this day, they talk until Tsukishima falls asleep, phone in hand and still on.

“Goodnight, Tsukki,” Yachi whispers before they hang up on the sleeping Tsukishima.

In another room a few doors down, Iwaizumi and Oikawa are lying in their separate beds, both staring at the ceiling.

“I mean, fuck Kageyama, right?” Oikawa says. “He can’t just join and suddenly be the best there is? He plays in Denmark for fuck’s sake,” he sneers.

“Their league has a better average level than yours,” Iwaizumi answers calmly, as if he’s heard these exact words before.

“Whatever,” Oikawa says. “I’ll show him who’s really the best.” 

“You need to stop thinking about Kageyama, and focus on yourself,” Iwaizumi responds. “You’ve played like shit because you’ve been worried about him surpassing you.” Iwaizumi twists to his side and leans his head on his one arm, now looking at Oikawa.

“You need to let it go, Tooru,” he says softly.

“Easy for you to say, you’re not replaceable,” Oikawa sighs, as he twists to mirror Iwaizumi’s position on the bed.

“Of course, I am,” Iwaizumi retorts. “There’s at least ten people that can do what I do better than me,” he scoffs. “So yeah it sucks that you have to compete with Kageyama.” 

“Iwa-” Oikawa begins.

“It’s fine,” Iwaizumi interrupts. “Just start playing better so that we can win something.” 

Oikawa throws the spare pillow from his bed towards Iwaizumi and hits him in the head. 

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that.” Iwaizumi gets ready to hurl his own pillow.

In a third room across the hall, two boys are huddled together on the floor, papers strewn between them.

“Okay, so if my math is correct,” Hinata says, reaching out to grab some of the papers.

“It probably isn’t,” Kageyama interjects. Hinata responds by hitting him over the head with the two pieces of paper that he’s holding.

“Anyway,” Hinata steers the conversation back to the original topic. “If we win the next one, we’ll have just enough points to make it to the next round.” 

“And then we’re facing Norway?” Kageyama points to a different sheet of paper still on the ground.

“Nooo,” Hinata flops back onto the floor with a thud.

“Careful,” Kageyama grumbles but lies down next to Hinata on the floor.

Hinata clenches his fist. “We’ll have to beat them.”

Kageyama nods resolutely. The two of them lie in silence for a bit, staring at the ceiling.

“But how?” Hinata whispers.

The two start whispering about plays and other things that could work. Until a pillow hits the floor right next to Hinata’s ear. 

“We have to beat Poland first,” Kenma says sitting in his bed. “Now go to sleep.” He falls back into his bed, pulling his duvet over his head in the process.

“Sorry,” Hinata and Kageyama whisper in unison. They both get up from the floor and Hinata walks Kageyama to the door of the hotel room. The two stand with only the doorframe between them. Hinata looks up at Kageyama, there’s not as far as there used to be but his head still tilts slightly. 

“Thanks for coming over and talking with me,” Hinata says quietly. 

“Yeah, no problem,” Kageyama mumbles, they stand for another few seconds, “I should, uhm, go.” Kageyama motions over his shoulder in a direction that is definitely the way to his hotel room.

“Oh yeah,” Hinata agrees. Kageyama turns around and walks away in the direction he pointed. Hinata closes the door and runs over to throw himself on the empty bed. He is asleep in less than a minute. 

Bokuto and Akaashi are watching the small TV in the room, one of Poland’s previous games is on. The two are sitting on the floor, a duvet wrapped around the pair and an empty bowl of popcorn in front of them. The light from the TV is the only thing illuminating the room.

“Bokuto,” Akaashi leans into him, “we should sleep.” He yawns, underlining his point.

“I know, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto leans back and the two rest against one another before Akaashi shrugs the duvet off of them and gets up. He offers a hand to Bokuto and pulls him up. Bokuto stumbles forward into Akaashi. Akaashi instinctively wraps his arms around Bokuto. Bokuto hums and wraps his arms around the other as well.

“Bokuto, bed,” Akaashi says trying to get out of the embrace. He manages to shrug Bokuto’s arms off and pull him towards his bed.

“If you don’t sleep now, practice won’t go well tomorrow,” Akaashi says and Bokuto finally sits down on the bed. 

“We’re gonna win the next one, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto mumbles before lying down in the bed.

“Goodnight, Bokuto,” he answers with a smile and turns of the light.


End file.
